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Rokugan is the fictional empire which is the main power in the Legend of the Five Rings setting, the basis for the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game, Legend of the Five Rings Role-Playing Game, and the Clan War Miniatures Game, all from Alderac Entertainment Group. Similar somewhat to feudal Japan, with the inclusion of other asian cultures, as well as magic and mythical beasts. There is no given name for the entire world which the setting describes, so "Rokugan" is used alternately to refer to the specific nation within the setting, or to refer to the entire world. Strictly speaking this is incorrect, but as the Emperor lays claim to all that is, as a right of being the descendant of Amaterasu (Lady Sun) and Onnotangu (Lord Moon), the courtiers of the Emerald Empire would see this as an appropriate use. The citizens and rulers of the Burning Sands and Ivory Kingdoms might disagree, however. Some say that Ningen-Do, the name of the metaphysical realm in which the world is placed, serves as a proper name for the world. B Rokugan is a rocky, mountainous land, surrounded by mountains on three sides (north, west and south) and an ocean to the east. There are nearly two hundred volcanoes, approximately fifty of them active, and hundreds of hot springs dotted across the mountainous regions. Only about a fifth of the land is flat; the majority is rolling hillsides, steep gorges, narrow valleys, ravines and mountains. The closer one gets to the ocean, the flatter the land gets. This is where the farms can be found. The nobility have used the mountainous region to their advantage, building castles in tight or inaccessible passes. The flatlands are used for farms, ports, and cities. There are many rivers running through Rokugan, flowing from mountain springs across the landscape and emptying out into the ocean. Cities and rice farms build up around the flatlands where the rivers run, on stilts for protection from the spring floods. The climate is diverse. Winter is short, but cold. Summer is long and sultry. Fall is cool and spring is wet. Just one look at the buildings and clothing of Rokugan can tell a foreigner the Rokugani find summer's heat far more unpleasant than the chill of winter. Rokugan experiences heavy snowfall during the winter, so much so that travel nearly grinds to a halt. The two largest cities of the Empire are it's capital, Otosan Uchi, and the trading city of Ryoko Owari. From these two hubs, commerce flows to the provinces of the noble daimyo and their servant samurai. Though many other powerful cities dot the lands of the Empire, these two trade centers - one in the north, and one in the south - are considered the twin heartbeats of the nation. The Fury of the Elements Rokugan is no stranger to disaster. The Empire, over the thousand years, has seen hundreds of earthquakes, tsunami and hurricanes. Earthquakes occur regularly. At least once a year, a minor tremble is felt under the earth. Earthquakes can occur as slight tremors that rumble for a few moments, or as great quakes that rip down buildings and pull up the earth for minutes at a time. There have been five great earthquakes in the history of Rokugan, all of which were quickly followed by a tsunami. Tsunami is the Rokugani word for "tidal wave." After an earthquake The Provinces of the Clans There Elsewhere Burning Sands The Burning Sands lie to the north and west of Rokugan. These lands consist mostly of vast stretches of desert where nomads roam the land and bitter wars are fought over the smallest reservoirs of water. It is thematically based on a fantastic version of Arabia. Ivory Kingdoms The Ivory Kingdoms lie far to the west and south of Rokugan, past the Shadowlands. Little is known of these islands and their inhabitants to the general populace of Rokugan, although secretly (and illegally) the Mantis Clan has been carrying on trade with this nation for some time. It is thematically based on a fantasy version of India. Northern Steppe North of Rokugan, beyond the Dragon, Ox, Badger and Phoenix Clan territories, lies the endless steppes of the Yobanjin. These nomads are fierce raiders, known for their Wyrm riding chiefs and powerful shamans. Shadowlands The Shadowlands border Rokugan to the south and south-west. While not a nation per se this is a vile land where the very air can be poisonous, and foul, unholy creatures are summoned forth by dark powers to wage a never-ending battle against all life in Rokugan. Rest of the World Far in the West, beyond the Burning Sands or the Ivory Kingdoms, are other lands, most of them with no contact at all with Rokugan. The Senpet, once a powerful theocracy (a setting based on a pharaonic Egypt of fantasy), has been subjugated by the military of the Yodotai a Roman setting). Other kingdoms, such as the Thrane or Merenae, which used to threaten Rokugan with their gun carrying vessels, are all but disappeared after a strange plague wiped them out.